Is the Medicare Advantage Program Really Advantageous?

Purchasing a Medicare Advantage Program can save a person money. It reduces the amount of paperwork a person has to deal with when filling out forms as well. A consumer needs to know what a Medicare Advantage Program is, how it works, how it can benefit him, and what its potential drawbacks are.

What Is a Medicare Advantage Program?

A Medicare Advantage Program combines several parts of traditional Medicare coverage with feature of Medicare advantage plans. Instead of having to carry multiple insurance cards, the recipient carries one card. A person with a Medicare advantage plan only needs to carry one insurance car in his wallet, but he may have problems when traveling out of network.

Advantages of Medicare Advantage Programs

The primary advantage of a Medicare Advantage program is reduced costs. Health maintenance organizations often substitute the quality of care for cheaper care. Many HMOs offer a wide network of doctors to give patients their own choice of which doctors they want to see.

Disadvantages of Medicare Advantage Programs

The programs are overseen by the Federal government, but they are administered by a private insurance agency. The private agency ads an additional level of bureaucracy to a program many people find difficult to navigate. In addition, Medicare Advantage Programs do limit a patient in their choice of doctors moreso than traditional Medicare does, although few patients find the choice of doctors to be too restrictive.

Who Should Go With a Medicare Advantage Program?

Medicare Advantage Programs are a good choice for most people. The reduction in paperwork reduces the overall level of stress and is considered to be good for the environment by some. The only reason not to choose such an insurance plan is if a person lives in an area where there are very few in-network doctors.